Coach Bret Bielema's Illinois Fighting Illini have one of their stiffest tests of the year on deck against Dan Lanning's Oregon Ducks, scheduled for 3 p.m. ET Saturday at Gies Memorial Stadium.

The Fighting Illini will be forced to play without starting QB Katin Houser, who broke his right (throwing) hand against the Michigan State Spartans, giving way to freshman QB Michael Clayton.

Clayton impressed with 6-of-8 completions in a 38-37 overtime win over the Spartans in East Lansing, Mich., setting the table for his first college start this weekend against the Ducks. 

Clayton has made an impression on Illinois veteran, former running back and tight end Kaden Feagin, who is looking forward to his starting debut behind center. 

Feagin shared his impressions on Clayton stemming from practices where he's gotten a chance to take more reps with the first team after Houser's injury. 

He called the freshman, future starter "a confident kid" ahead of the Illini's showdown with the Ducks.  

"Michael's a confident kid, just going into that game (against MSU) and seeing him rifle that ball in there, I mean, we all had confidence after seeing him doing that," Feagin said to Tristan Thomas of WCIA-3 Champaign. 

"We're just going to do what we keep continuin' to do, we saw it like weeks before in practice with him, just goin' out there and he knows what he's doin'. So I don't think we have to change much, because he's such a focused kid and he knows what he's doin'." 

Clayton was tested extensively by the Illinois Fighting Illini coaching staff during last week's bye week according to offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., who spoke on the WAND television station of Central Illinois. 

"We poured on more steam from a repetitions stand point, but he's been handling it very well," Lunney Jr. said of the freshman, Clayton. 

"The number one thing is, boy, it's pretty impressive, and really, I (was) in the box, but it sounded like it got pretty loud at times (in Spartan Stadium)," passing game coordinator Mike Neu added on Clayton. 

"For him to handle the adversity the way he did, and he made some impressive throws where he gave his guys a chance to make a play, I think to me that spoke volumes, just about, he was ready and in tune with what was happening throughout the course of the game."

Saturday's game against Oregon will be a different challenge entirely for Clayton and the Illini against the 4-2 Ducks. Oregon has a reputation for striking fast, striking hard and striking often against opposing teams in the early going, oftentimes putting up points in bunches before their opponents can blink. 

Clayton and the Fighting Illini will expect a storm, and hope to weather it, before throwing their counter-punches in what could be a high-scoring shootout in Champaign on Saturday.